Replace Those Overused Words and Phrases! Tips for Sharpening Up Your Resume

Strategically writing a resume is one of the most difficult parts of the job search. The whole point of a resume is to describe who you are and why you stand out as a candidate. You’re a distinct person with unique knowledge, skills and experience, so using clichés to describe yourself won’t do you any justice. Avoid these tired words and phrases on your resume:

“Motivated” or “Hard Worker”

Because so many job applicants have described themselves as such, these tired descriptors do not have meaning to hiring managers anymore. Instead of saying you’re motivated or a hard worker, prove it by mentioning the multiple projects you’ve successfully juggled or how you took on extra work to ensure an initiative was successful.

“Team Player” or “People Person”

Again, you don’t need to waste resume space by saying you’re a team player or a people person; it is way more effective to show it. You can convey your people skills and enjoyment of teamwork to the hiring manager by mentioning the number of teammates you worked with for a particular project and the successful results.

“Excellent Communication Skills”

This is another phrase that has lost all meaning due to the millions of candidates who have written this on their resume, so don’t become one of the masses. Instead, prove your good communication skills by following up and responding promptly to the hiring manager.

“Responsible for…”

When you’re listing your responsibilities in past jobs, don’t start off every line with “Responsible for…” This is overused and doesn’t really add much value to your experience. Think specifics to make your resume more memorable. For example, instead of saying, “Responsible for a five-person team,” write something like, “Managed a team of five colleagues.”

Again, your resume is supposed to describe you as a distinct candidate. Using clichés and tired descriptors won’t help a hiring managers remember who you are; instead, they could help find your resume space in the recycling bin.

Have you thought of other tired descriptors? Share them in the comments below!